July 4 was a fine day for taking in the sights in downtown Minneapolis.

Swollen by recent heavy rains throughout the state, the Mississippi River was really chugging along on July 4. This view is from the St. Anthony Falls area, with the Hennepin Avenue Bridge in the background.

Let us do the pedaling, that’s the credo of the pedi-cab drivers in downtown Minneapolis. Pedi-cabs are allowed to travel on Nicollet Mall – sharing the pavement with bicyclists, buses and pedestrians. The skyway in the background is festooned with a banner promoting the upcoming Major League Baseball All Star Game at Target Field in Minneapolis. The weather was fine for pedi-cab riding on July 4.

The Third Avenue Bridge offers the best seats in town for the annual downtown Minneapolis fireworks show on July 4. People arrive early — very early — to stake out their turf on the bridge. The festive atmosphere brings out all kinds of food vendors. Ice cream treats are especially popular. Also spotted along the riverbank: a food wagon selling foot-long hotdogs.The Third Avenue Bridge spans the Mississippi River between downtown and southeast Minneapolis. The bridge is not open to motor vehicle traffic any longer. But it was preserved by the city as a pedestrian bridge. It’s a great amenity to the city, with terrific views of historic St. Anthony Falls on the upriver side, and the University of Minnesota on the downriver side.

A lone trumpeter holds forth on Nicollet Mall on July 4. He was settled in on a bench across from the IDS Building.

WCCO-TV’s signal tower logo was decked out in red, white and blue colors in honor of Independence Day.

Downtown Minneapolis has a variety of faces.

You never know who you’re going to meet when you take a walk down Nicollet Mall. These two colorfully adorned guys were hanging down by the Loring Greenway on July 4. They hailed me as I walked by and asked if I’d take their picture – using their iPhone. I did, and then I took a photo of my own with my camera. I think they’d be pleased with the result. Nice guys.